Lightweight Wall Structure For Building Construction

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed to prefabricated building wall sections that may be delivered to a building site and subsequently assembled and filled with a lightweight concrete so as to minimize the weight that has to be moved to create a building wall. In one form, the building wall is constructed of a pair of opposed lightweight wall panel members that are joined together by structural trusses with the space between the panel members being filled with a lightweight concrete at the building site. The wall panels are so constructed that they are easily cut to allow electricians and plumbers to have access into the walls for connection of pipes and wiring. In one form, a plurality of the wall units are connected together to form a wall and a pilaster of concrete is poured through a form positioned in the assembled wall sections to provide structural support for the wall.

SPECIFIC DATA RELATED TO THE INVENTION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.60/711,181, filed Aug. 25, 2005 and U.S. Provisional Application No.60/749,999 filed Dec. 13, 2005.

The present invention relates to building construction and, moreparticularly, to a prefabricated building wall section for use inreplacing concrete block.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Typical building construction uses concrete blocks that are individuallyset in mortar to construct walls of a building. These blocks arenominally 8×8×16 inches when measured with the associated mortar joints.Each block weighs about 40 pounds and the laying of the blocks to createa wall is a labor intensive task. Various methods have been proposed toovercome the labor issues involved in laying block, including creatingforms and pouring solid concrete walls. Other proposals have usedprefabricated wall panels such as foam core panels that can be put inplace and then sprayed with a concrete surface. It has also beenproposed to prefabricate a foam core panel with outer concrete surfacingthat can be lifted in place using lifting apparatus at the job site.However, recent changes in building codes have required that buildingwalls have sufficient solid concrete segments to withstand hurricanesand tornadoes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may behad to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a wall section constructed in accordance withone embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a spacer and structural truss for usewith the wall panel of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing one form of attaching the wallpanel of FIG. 1 to a foundation;

FIG. 4 illustrates one form of water intrusion protection system usingthe panel of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 illustrates one form of incorporation of a roll-up storm shutterand window into a wall built using the wall section of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 illustrates one form used in the manufacture of one of the wallpanels used in the construction of the wall section of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 illustrates one step in the production of the wall panel of FIG.1;

FIG. 8 illustrates another step in the manufacture of the wall panel ofFIG. 1 in which the reinforcing bars and wire mesh are incorporated inthe form;

FIG. 9 is an exploded elevation view of the wall panel of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is an elevation view of multiple sections of the wall panels ofFIG. 1 assembled into a wall section;

FIG. 11 is a detailed illustration of the reinforcing spacer used in thewall panel of FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 illustrates how the spacers are arranged in the wall panel ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 13 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the spacers used in thewall panel of FIG. 1;

FIG. 14 illustrates how the wall panel of FIG. 1 is used in a retentionwall below grade;

FIG. 15 illustrates a further arrangement of the wall section of FIG. 14in a below slab configuration;

FIG. 16 illustrates one use of the wall panel of FIG. 1 in connection toa roof support truss;

FIG. 17 illustrates a partial arrangement of a building constructedusing wall panels of the present invention;

FIG. 18 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the wall panel of FIG. 1using different outer panels and different support truss;

FIGS. 19A-19E illustrate an assembly process for the wall panels of FIG.18;

FIGS. 20A-20D illustrate how the wall panels of FIG. 18 are assembled tocreate a wall;

FIGS. 21A-21C illustrate how the wall panels of FIG. 18 are arranged soas to create spacing for pilasters;

FIG. 22 illustrates construction of a corner using the wall panels ofFIG. 18; and

FIG. 23 illustrates one embodiment of the wall panel of FIG. 18 showinghow decorative surfaces can be attached to an outside of the panel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Applicant has found that a prefabricated building wall section can beconstructed of lightweight concrete and designed so as to meet buildingcode requirements and yet have a size and weight that will allow thewall sections to be assembled in situ by an individual without the needfor mechanical lifting apparatus. In one form as indicated in FIG. 1,the wall section 10 is shown in an edge view having an outer panel 12and an inner panel 14. The inner and out panels are joined by aplurality of spaced cross-members 16, each cross-member having portionsextending into the panels 12 and 14. FIG. 2 is a front view of one ofthe cross-members 16 showing the extending portions 16A that areembedded in the panels 12,14. Each of the panels 12 and 14 are formedfrom poured lightweight concrete, such as, for example, a Forton® or aDonalite® concrete mix. The cross-members 16 may be made from a fiberreinforced material or plastic material of sufficient strength tosupport the inner and outer panels in spaced apart relationship. As willbecome apparent, once a wall has been constructed from a plurality ofthe wall sections 10, the space between the panels may be filled withother lightweight concrete material that will provide structuralintegrity to the wall sections so that the cross-members 16 are thenembedded in the fill material.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the wall section 10 may be 24 inches by 64inches, which is equivalent to twelve conventional concrete blocks.However, the total weight of the wall section is only 110 pounds whichmakes it easy for two men to set into place. This advantageous result isobtained by using the lightweight concrete that is typically aboutone-third the weight of regular concrete and eliminating the lateralconcrete connectors that are normally a part of a concrete block. It canalso be seen that there is an insulation board 18 extending along andcovering an inner face 20 of the inner panel 12. The inner panel 12 isidentified as the panel which would be on the inside of a building beingconstructed while the outer panel 14 would form an outside face of thebuilding. The board 18 provides additional insulation to increase the Rfactor of the wall section and can also be used as a support for thelightweight concrete when it is poured. An additional moisture barrier22 may also be used in the wall section and is shown at 24 covering theinner surface of the outer panel 14. The barrier 22 may be a flatmoisture resistant material such as plastic material but may also be acorrugated plastic material such as is shown in FIG. 1.

The edges 26 and 28 are formed with an ogee shape such that the wallsections can be stacked and abutted to create a full wall. Other shapescould be used but the ogee configuration provides large contact surfacesand minimizes sharp edges. In assembling the wall sections, an adhesivecan be spread along the edges to bond the wall sections to each other.However, the lower most wall section which sits on a foundation ispreferably mounted using a mechanical connection such as shown in FIG.3. A plurality of eye hooks 30 are embedded in the foundation 32, whichis typically a poured concrete slab. The lower wall section 34, shown incutaway form, is then positioned in place with the eye hooks 30protruding upward into the cavity between the inner and outer panels 12,14. A section of rebar 36 is next guided through the eyes of the eyehooks to create a longitudinal support for a plurality of verticalextending rebars 38. Each of the rebars 38 is formed with a hooked end40 so that each can grab the rebar 36. The open cross-members orbrackets 16 allow the rebar 36 to be easily inserted from an end of thewall section. The vertically extending rebar 38 is also hook shaped atan upper end to allow the rebar to grab another horizontally extendingrebar at the lower edge of a next stacked wall section.

Considering FIG. 3 in conjunction with FIG. 4, there is shown one methodof seating the first one of the wall sections on a foundation in amanner to minimize the entrapment of moisture in the wall section. Alongthe lower edge of the outer wall panel there is provided an L-shapedsheet metal flashing 42 extend lengthwise of the wall section. A stripof corrugated plastic 44 is placed on the flashing with the wall sectionseated on the strip 44. The corrugations of the strip 44 create amoisture weepage track so that any moisture entering into the spacebetween the inner and outer panels will be able to exit the space.

One of the advantages of the present invention is the construction ofthe wall section with the spaced apart inner and outer panels. The openspace between the panels allows electricians and plumbers to run wiringand pipes within the wall space. Since the wall panels are formed fromlightweight concrete, the electricians and plumbers can readily cutopenings in the material using conventional saws, such as saber saws,for installing electrical outlet boxes and faucets or other plumbingconnections. Additionally, telephone lines may be run in the wall space.Once all of the wiring, plumbing and other items have been installed inthe wall space, it is desirable to fill at least some portion of thewall space with either conventional concrete or with lightweightconcrete. Applicant has found that the entire wall space area may befilled with lightweight concrete to form a solid core wall havingsufficient strength to meet current code requirements in Florida forhurricanes. Further, the structural strength of the solid core wall issufficient to provide a vertical support for additional structures abovea first floor of a building.

Turning now to FIG. 5, there is shown one method for incorporating aroll-up storm shutter to protect a window opening using the wallsections of the present invention. A wall section 50 constructed inaccordance with present invention forms a lintel over a window opening52. The section 50 includes a filler 54 that extends longitudinally anddefines a lower cavity 56 sized and adapted to receive a conventionalrolled shutter 58. The wall section 50 may be specially formed to createthe cavity 56. The window is framed in a conventional manner using metalor wood that is attached to the upper section 50 and to a lower wallsection 60 that may be filled with lightweight concrete 62. Since thelightweight concrete can be sawn or drilled using conventionalwoodworking tools, the attachment of the window frame to the wallsections does not require any special considerations or tools.

Manufacturing of the wall sections of the above described embodiment canbest be achieved by forming one of the panels, either inner or outerpanel, in a face down position. As shown in FIG. 6, a form 70 having abase 72 and sidewalls 74 can be filled with lightweight concrete to formone of the panels. The base 72 can be patterned to create a desiredfinish on the formed panel. The sidewalls 74 have a height that definesthe thickness of the panel, typically about 1.5 inches, and have theogee configuration for forming the shaped edges of the panel. Afterpouring the one panel, such as the outer panel, a plastic moisturebarrier such as barrier 22 is laid over and pressed onto the formedpanel. The barrier is precut with openings aligned with the desiredlocation of the cross-members 16 which are positioned in the openingsand pressed in place so that the segments 16A are embedded into theconcrete of the panel as shown in FIG. 7. A pair of rods 76 are insertedthrough holes in the cross-members 16 and extend the length of the form.The rods 76 are used to support the insulation board 18 that forms abase for pouring of the concrete for the other of the panels. FIG. 8shows the form that is created for the upper panel. The base of the formis the insulation board 18 and the sides 78 of the form can be wood,metal or a polymer material having a depth sufficient to rest on thelower form 70. The segments 16 a of the cross-members protrude throughthe board 18. Structural support is provided by a mesh screen member 80and a pair of rebar 82. Note that the upper panel is poured with theoutside surface being exposed so that any type of finish may be createdon the surface. If the upper panel is to be an inner panel such as theinner panel 14, the surface could be finished by applying a plastermaterial. If the upper panel is to be the outer panel 12, the surfacecould be finished by applying stucco.

FIG. 9 illustrates an end view of a modified form of the panel of FIG. 1with the outside surfaces shown in an exploded form. In the illustratedform, the cross members 100 are constructed of a plastic resin similarto the cross member 16 but include upper and lower square sections thatprovide additional rigidity while at the same time enable the crossmembers to be shaped in order to join panels at different angles.Further, the cross members 100 include the outwardly extended flanges102 that are arranged so that a reinforcing rod may be insertedvertically through these flanges and be embedded in lightweight concretepanels 104 and 106. The vertically extending reinforcing rods areindicated by phantom lines 108 in each of the panels 104 and 106. In theconstruction of FIG. 9, the outer surfaces of the completed panel arecovered by an insulation layer 110 which may be Donolite® or a plasticfoam product such as a polystyrene. A final surface finish 112 formed ofForton lightweight concrete is then placed over the insulation panel112.

In the actual manufacture of the panel illustrated in exploded form inFIG. 9, the panel is produced similar to the method described withregards to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8. In particular, the initial form is filledwith approximately a half-inch layer of Forton lightweight concrete toform the surface 114. The insulation layer is then placed over thishalf-inch layer and the space around the edges of the insulation layer112 is then filled with additional Forton lightweight concrete to createthe shaped edges that allow the panels to be attached one to another.Thereafter, the cross members 100 are lowered on to the panels 112 withthe reinforcing bars 108 in place and a further layer of concrete 106 isthen poured to fill up the area around the flanges 102. While having aconcrete outer surface of approximately half-inch thick has beendetermined to be a preferred thickness, it will be recognized that theouter surface 114 could have any desired thickness that would besuitable for creating a wall structure. The opposite wall surface isformed in a reverse process with respect to the first wall surface. Inother words, in forming the second wall surface, the wall structure isleft in the mold and a plurality of panels are placed over the crossmembers 100 so that the layer of concrete 104 can then be poured on topof those members to cover the flanges 102. Once the concrete material at104 has been put in place, the insulation layer 112 is placed over theconcrete layer and the second wall surface 114 is formed onto theinsulation layer. A separate form is lowered onto the panel to createthe form for the outer surface 114. As with the panels describedpreviously, the forms can be designed to have any particular texture forthe outer finish on the external panels 114.

Turning now to FIG. 10, there is shown an arrangement of the panels ofFIG. 9 in a stacked formation. It can be seen that a bottom portion ofthe panels may be filled with concrete in at least some of the spacesbetween the cross members 100. Typically, selected sections of each wallare filled with a concrete product as each panel is put in place so eachpanel is supported. The filled section is separated from the sectionhaving reinforcing bars. This provides some structural integrity as thewall sections are stacked since the wall sections are intentionally madeto be lightweight to allow large sections such as 4 by 8 feet to beassembled by no more than two people. Once a plurality of these wallsections have been stacked to the desired height, an extendedreinforcing bar 116 having a loop at each end is positioned within thealigned cavities in the wall section so that the loops are captured byhorizontally extending reinforcing bars 118. At the bottom of a wall,the bar 118 is held in position by embedded looped bar 120 which isformed in conventional manner within a slab 122. After the panels areinspected, the sections in which the extended reinforcing bar 116 isfound may be then filled with a conventional 3000 PSI concrete productfrom bottom to top of the panels.

Referring now to FIGS. 11 and 12, there is shown a method in which thecross members 100 are joined to form a continuous connection within oneof the panels. Each cross member 100 as shown in FIG. 11 has fouropenings 126, with each opening being formed at an extension of thex-shaped cross shaped section in the center of the members 100. Thecross members 100 are then positioned in a separate mold as shown inFIG. 12 so that the mold forms an area to allow a continuous plasticreinforcing bar to be molded in situ between the holes 126 in each of aplurality of the members 100. In this manner, at least four reinforcingbars extend through the holes 126 and connect a plurality of the members100 into a continuous set. The number of the members 100 in any set canbe adjusted to allow panels of different lengths to be created. While a4 foot by 8 foot panel has been contemplated, particularly due to thewidespread adoption of 4 by 8 as a dimension for plywood sheets, it isanticipated that the wall sections may be formed of many differentlengths and widths depending upon the particular application. The formshown in FIG. 12 allows the members 100 to be constructed in whateverlength is necessary and yet form a continuous bonded set of theconnecting members 100.

Referring to FIG. 13, the inner and outer sections of the wall areformed separately with independent cross members 100 attached to arespective inner and outer walls. As shown in FIG. 13, the inner wall130 is attached to one of the cross members 100 while the outer wall 132is attached to another of the cross members 100. The two sections canthen be brought together and aligned to create the completed wall asshown in FIG. 9. The two sections can be held together by means of rebarpassed through the holes 126 and each of the cross members 100.

While the wall sections such as that shown in FIG. 9 have been primarilyintended for creating wall sections of buildings, as shown in FIG. 14,the sections can also be used to establish retaining walls or belowgrade applications. In this respect, the walls can be attached to thebelow grade footers 140 by means of conventional rebar 142. The top endof the wall section 144 can be adjusted to receive the retaining rebar146 used to capture the horizontally extending reinforcing bar beforeattaching the above grade wall sections onto the poured floor 148.

FIGS. 15 and 16 show alternate methods of providing above levelconnections to the wall sections of FIG. 9. In FIG. 15, a portion of thewall section is removed at 150 to allow a hollow core slab 152 to beseated on the wall sections. This particular construction as shown couldbe adapted to a multi-story building where the hollow core slab wouldrepresent a support in one upper floor of a building. In FIG. 16, isshown an alternative embodiment in which the intermediate floor issupported on a steel truss 160 and a lightweight concrete floor isformed on top of the truss 160. In both the embodiments of FIGS. 15 and16, the advantages that the wall structure has sufficient strength whenselected cavities are filled with concrete to support floors above afirst level.

In the wall panel system thus far described, the inner and outer sidepanels are formed from a lightweight cementitious material such as thatsold under the brand names Donolite® or Forton®. Applicants have foundthat a lighter weight panel can be constructed using side panels of highdensity plastic foam such as, for example, polystyrene, that iscommercially available. Before describing an embodiment using suchlighter panels, reference is first made to FIG. 17 which illustrates apartial construction of a wall system for a building using thelightweight wall panels of the present invention. In the construction asindicated in FIG. 17, the inventive panels are illustrated at 200 andare reinforced by periodic vertical pilasters 202 and a horizontal tiebeam 204. The tie beam 204 and pilasters 202 are typically solid pouredconcrete and may be, for example, 3000 psi pumped concrete. A doorway206 and a window opening 208 are each capped by a solid concrete lentil210. Thus, while the lightweight wall panels of the present inventionhave substantial structural strength, the additional concrete pilastersand concrete tie beams provide the extra strength required to meetconventional building codes.

Turning now to FIG. 18, there is shown an alternate embodiment of thepresent invention using plastic foam panels in which the wall panels maybe delivered to a job site in an unassembled configuration so as tominimize weight and the attendant handling problems. In this embodiment,the wall panel 212 comprises a pair of side panels 214 and 216 that arespaced apart and held in position by a plurality of structural crossmembers 218. The cross members 218 are wire mesh type products ortrusses commonly available under the brand name Durawire®. The wiretruss 218 is attached to an inside face of each of the two side panelsby means of a plurality of brackets 220 that are fixed to the sidepanels. The brackets 220 are tees having a leg 222 pressed into arespective one of the side panels 214 or 216 and epoxyied into place.The side panels 214, 216 are preferably a relatively high densitypolystyrene or other plastic foam material that is commerciallyavailable in 4×8 or larger sheets. Each of the tees 220 has a tubulartop portion 224. The wire truss 218 is held into position by a pluralityof wire members 226 that are arranged in pairs between correspondingones of the tees 220. The wire members 226 each have a straight sectionand end sections that are turned at 900 to the straight section so thatthe end sections can be inserted into the tubular portions 224 of thebrackets 220. As will be described later, the wire members 226 may beinserted from the same side of the tubular member or from opposite sidesof the tubular member.

FIG. 18 also illustrates that the wall section 212 may include a vaporbarrier or high rib lathe that is positioned against each of theintersections of the side walls 214 and 216. In addition, the outersurface of each of the side panels 214, 216 may be finished with acoating such as stucco for an outer surface or a light plaster layer foran inner surface. In addition, the outer surface may be finished withfurring strips for attachment of an outer sheeting such as aluminum orplastic siding, simulated log cabin siding, lap siding or tongue andgroove siding, for example. Alternatively, the outer surface may befinished with an attached wire lathe to allow brick or stone to beadhered to the outer surface of the wall panel. In FIG. 18, it is shownthat the wall panel may be positioned on a slab 228 and that the vaporbarrier material 218 may extend across the base of the slab. Flashing230 may be added to control moisture entry between the wall panel andthe slab 228.

Turning now to FIGS. 19A-19E that are shown a sequence of steps inassembling the side panels 214 and 216 into a wall unit or wall panel212. The panels 214 and 216 are processed through some initialconstruction steps in which the brackets 220 are inserted in predefinedlocations on each of the wall panels so that when the two panels arepositioned as shown in FIG. 19A, the brackets are properly aligned. Inone form, a portion of the foam material of the panel is removed, thetee pressed into the space and the space is filled with a quick setpolymer such as Liquid 60®. In addition, what will become the outersurface of each of the wall units 212 may be finished by either a stuccocoating such as indicated at 232 or a plaster wall finish such asindicated at 234. The two panels 214 and 216 are oriented in generalparallel arrangement and the wires 226 are inserted in the respectiveones of the brackets 220 to hold the panels in the generally parallelconfiguration. In a next step, as shown in FIG. 19B, the structural wiretruss 218 is positioned against the initially inserted cross wires 226.The top ends of the wire truss may be bent so that the wire truss hangson the top one of the cross wires 226. It can also be seen that thestructural wire truss is formed of two substantially straight wirepieces 218A and 218B that are interconnected by a plurality of angularlyoriented wires 218C. The wire truss material may be quarter inchdiameter steel wire with the cross members 218C welded to the straightmembers 218A and 218B to create a structural assembly. It should also benoted that each of the side panels 214 and 216 are preferably formedwith grooves 236 which create receptacles for receiving an adhesive sothat multiple wall units may be adhesively bonded to each other tocreate the curtain wall illustrated at 200 in FIG. 17.

Turning now to FIG. 19C, a second set of the cross wires 226 areinstalled into the brackets 220 in order to lock the structural wiretruss assembly 218 in place. Preferably, the top one of the crossmembers indicated at 226A is inserted from the bottom side of thebracket 220. The remaining cross wires 226 may be inserted from the sameside as the prior inserted wire but on an opposite side of the wiretruss so that the wire truss is captured between the two cross wires 226in each pair of brackets. As will become apparent, the rationale forinserting the cross wire 226A from the bottom side of the pair ofbrackets 220 in FIG. 19C is to allow a connection to a panel on top ofthe illustrated panel to be fastened to the lower panel without thecross wire pulling out of its position in the brackets. While it is onlynecessary to use one cross wire 226A in the assembly as shown in FIG.19C, it is also possible to position each of the pair of cross wires 226in the same manner as shown in FIG. 19E. In FIG. 19E, each of the pairof cross wires may then be pulled together by use of a tie wire 238. Thedisadvantage of the arrangement of FIG. 19E is the extra step necessaryto install the tie wire to hold the two cross wires 226 together.Accordingly, there may be applications where the tie wire 238 isunnecessary and the cross wires may be installed as shown in FIG. 19Ewithout additional labor involved. FIG. 19D shows the final assembly ofthe cross wires 226 and wire truss 218 between each of the pair of sidepanels 214 and 216.

Turning now to FIGS. 20A-20D, there is shown an arrangement of the wallpanels 212 in constructing a complete wall such as the curtain wall 200of FIG. 17. In FIG. 20A, the first or lower wall unit 212 is shownpositioned on a slab 228 and held in place by means of a twist wire orother type of fastener that is at least partially embedded in the slabso that a connection can be made to the lowermost cross wire 226. Thewire fastener is illustrated at 240 as a twist-type fastener but couldbe other types of fasteners that are well known in the constructionindustry. Once the first level wall unit 212 has been attached to theslab 228, the location of the pilasters 202 can be defined by insertingmesh forms (see FIG. 21) through the wall unit 212 at the desiredlocations. Thereafter, the remaining portions of the wall unit 212 maybe filled with a lightweight cementitious material such as previouslydescribed. The inserted mesh forms defining the pilaster locations willblock the cementitious material so that the area of the pilasters can besubsequently filled with a conventional high density concrete. It shouldalso be noted that the wall units 212 may be further reinforced byadditional sections of the wire truss 218 extending horizontally throughand along the length of each of the wall panels. These horizontallyextending sections are shown in FIG. 20A, for example, at 242 and 244.The segment at 242 is preferably positioned on the wall unit after theinitial pouring of the lightweight cementitious mixture into the spacebetween the sidewalls 214 and 216.

As shown in FIG. 20B, once the initial level of wall unit 212 has beeninstalled and the cementitious poured between the side panels 214 and216, a next level may be installed on top of the first level. The secondlevel indicated at 246 is preferably bonded to the lower level by meansof an adhesive spread in the grooves 236 along the edges of the sidepanels 214 and 216. As shown in FIG. 20C, the lowermost cross wires 226of the upper wall unit 212A may be attached to the lower wall unit 212by means of a tie wire 246. Additional wall units may then be attachedto the next level after pouring the cementitious material into thesecond level to create the complete curtain wall. FIG. 20D is providedto illustrate how flashing and a weep cavity for additionalwaterproofing may be used with the wall unit 212. Turning now to FIGS.21A, 21B and 21C, there is shown a top view of one level of theinventive wall panels illustrating different methods for installing awire mesh form 240 into the wall panel to create an area for receipt ofthe concrete to form the pilasters. In FIG. 21A, a preformed wire meshform 250 is pushed down between the inner and outer side panels 214 and216. A horizontally oriented structural wire truss 218 extends acrossthe top of the panel and overlays the form 250. In this embodiment, theconcrete that will be poured into the form 250 will also encompass thestructural wire truss 218. In FIG. 21B, the wire truss 218 has endsprotruding into the formed wire mesh 250 and then bent so as to maintainthe ends within the form where they will be embedded into the concretethat is poured. In FIG. 21C, the horizontal wire truss 218 terminatesadjacent the form 250 rather than penetrating into it. In all threeembodiments, there is provided reinforcement bar 252 running verticallythrough the concrete pilaster.

FIG. 22 is a top plan view of a corner construction of a building usingthe wall panels of the present invention. In this embodiment, thepreformed wire mesh 250 used to contain the conventional concretepilaster is fitted into a corner defined by the intersection of two ofthe wall panels. At each level, the top horizontal reinforcing truss 218is allowed to continue fully across the wall panel and extend into thearea that will receive the normal concrete for the pilaster. Since theinner and outer styrofoam panels 214 and 216 extend beyond the end ofthe area in which the lightweight concrete 254 is poured, these ends areattached to the conventional concrete in the pilaster by means ofplastic inserts extending through the styrofoam and into the area of thepilaster. Conventional plastic inserts such as shown at 256 are plasticinserts commonly sold under the brand name Winlocks®. FIG. 22A is aperspective view of a corner showing how the Winlocks® inserts penetratethrough the outer foam layer or wall 216 so as to hold the wall panel tothe concrete pilaster 202. The vertical rebar that provides reinforcingfor the pilaster is also indicated at 252. It should also be noted thatfurring strips 258 may be adhesively attached to the exposed surface ofthe inner wall panel for building construction so that conventionalgypsum board or similar finishing can be attached to the foam panels.

Turning now to FIG. 23, there is shown an exemplary embodiment of a wallpanel in accordance with the present invention in which the outer panel216 is formed of a foam material and an external surface finish such asa brick face veneer is attached to the outside surface of the panel. Thebrick face veneer indicated at 260 is attached to a lathe strip 262which is adhesively bonded to the foam panel. In addition, the lathestrip may include fasteners extending into the panel with a cut-out areaon the opposite side of the panel so that the cut-out area can be filledwith an epoxy to bond the fasteners to the panel. An expoxy such asEasyFlow 60 Plastic® may be used to bond the fasteners on the reverseside of the panel. In addition, the brackets 220 may be bonded to thepanel using the same brand of plastic adhesive. Similarly, the exposedsurface of the inside panel 214 may also be finished by attaching lathestrips or a lathe mesh on the surface and then coating the surface witha concrete finish in preparation for receiving a drywall material.Further, while the preferred embodiment of the invention uses a highdensity plastic foam for the panels 214 and 216, as previouslydiscussed, the panels could be made of a lightweight concrete materialsuch as that sold under the brand name Donolite®.

In the embodiment of the invention as described beginning with FIG. 18,it will be recognized that the inner and outer wall panels are formed ofa plastic foam material and may have different coating materials on theexposed surfaces to provide a much simpler way of delivering wall panelsto a building site. Once the wall panels have been delivered to thebuilding site, they can be quickly assembled by means of the connectingwires and insertion of the structural truss members 218 to create a wallthat is ready to be poured with a lightweight cementitious material suchas Donolite® or Smartcon®. Both of these materials are commerciallyavailable and suitable for constructing lightweight concrete wallpanels. In addition, the panels may be provided with additional vaporbarriers or water barriers already attached to their inner surfaces andthereby provide a way for increasing the R factor for buildingconstruction. Still further, the wall panels are provided with groovesthat are adapted to receive an adhesive to allow joining of adjacentpanels to create a wall without leaks and which will withstand normallateral forces. Additionally, the adjacent wall panels may be joinedusing dowels to add further strength.

While the invention has been described in what is presently consideredto be a preferred embodiment, various modifications and adaptations willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art. It is intended thereforethat the invention not be limited to the specific disclosed embodimentbut be interpreted within the full spirit and scope of the appendedclaims.

1. A method for constructing a wall unit comprising: cutting a pair ofside panels from a low density composite sheet material; attaching aplurality of spaced brackets to a first side of each of the side panelsand positioning the panels in a generally parallel orientation with thefirst sides facing each other; coupling a plurality of structural crossmembers between the pair of panels via connection to the correspondingones of the brackets such that the panels are restrained with respect toeach other, at least some of the cross members extending perpendicularlywith respect to others of the cross members; and filling the spacebetween the pair of side panels with a light weight cementitiousmaterial.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the cross members comprise awire mesh product having at least a pair of spaced substantiallystraight wires interconnected by a plurality of angularly orientedwires, the method of coupling including attaching of the straight wiresadjacent the brackets.
 3. The method of claim 2 wherein the method ofattaching comprises clamping of the wire mesh product between a pair ofwires extending between corresponding brackets on the pair of sidepanels.
 4. The method of claim 3 wherein the brackets comprise a teehaving a tubular top portion and a leg extending into the associatedside panel, each of the pair of wires extending between thecorresponding brackets having a generally straight segment and oppositeend segments turned at a generally ninety degree angle to the straightsegment, the method of attaching comprising inserting the opposite endsegments of a pair of wires into the tubular top portion of the bracketand capturing the associated cross member between the pair of wires. 5.The method of claim 4 and including bonding the brackets into aperturesformed in the side panels using an adhesive.
 6. The method of claim 1and including positioning a vapor barrier in juxtaposition with each ofthe side panels prior to filling the space with the cementitiousmaterial.
 7. The method of claim 1 and including coating the outwardfacing surface of at least one of the side panels with an exteriorprotective material.
 8. The method of claim 7 wherein the protectivematerial is stucco.
 9. The method of claim 7 wherein the protectivecoating is a sheet material.
 10. The method of claim 9 and includingattaching furring strips to the outward facing surface for receiving thesheet material.
 11. The method of claim 1 wherein the side panels arecut from a styrofoam sheet.
 12. The method of claim 1 and includingforming a wall from a plurality of the wall panels wherein the wall isformed by positioning the connected side panels into a desired locationprior to filling the space between the panels with the cementitiousmaterial.
 13. The method of claim 12 wherein the wall panels areassembled in end-to-end relationship defining a periphery of a buildingstructure and a first level is filled with the cementitious materialprior to positioning another level of wall panels on the first level.14. The method of claim 13 wherein the ends of the wall panels arejoined by structural adhesive.
 15. The method of claim 13 wherein theends of the wall panels are joined by tie wires interconnecting the wiremesh product of one panel to the wire mesh product of an adjacent panel.16. The method of claim 14 wherein the mating ends of the wall panelsare formed with shaped mating grooves.
 17. The method of claim 13 andincluding dowels interconnecting the ends of juxtaposed wall panels. 18.The method of claim 12 and including inserting a plurality of spacedpilaster forms into the formed wall, the pilaster forms interrupting thelateral flow of the cementitious material so as to create verticallyoriented openings for receiving concrete to create spaced pilastersalong the wall.
 19. The method of claim 18 and including positioningwire mesh reinforcement along a top of each wall panel level prior toconstructing a succeeding level.